


My Home is With You

by Turn_2_Page_3OSH



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Baekhyun is 6, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kyungsoo is 4, M/M, Parent!AU, kid!Baekhyun, kid!kyungsoo, sekai - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-17 01:58:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13066767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turn_2_Page_3OSH/pseuds/Turn_2_Page_3OSH
Summary: Sehun turns up at Jongin's door over a year after their divorce - he's been locked out of his apartment.Jongin had promised to himself that he would never let Sehun into his home again... But he just can't find it in his heart to turn Sehun away.





	My Home is With You

 

Jongin had just put the kids to sleep when the doorbell rang.

Monggu leapt up from where he was lying next to Jongin, startled by the sound. Sighing, Jongin paused Netflix and reluctantly pushed himself off the couch. His _Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_ episode would have to wait. Monggu lay back down, and rested his head on a paw, watching Jongin from half closed eyes.

_Lazy dog._

Honestly, didn’t this person realise how late it was? Baekhyun was terribly hard to put to sleep and Kyungsoo was a light sleeper. Jongin cursed inwardly, _if the doorbell has woken the kids up, I swear to god they’l-_

He swung open the door and froze.

“Uh, hey Jongin”

The tall man standing on the porch awkwardly waved and had an embarrassed expression on his all-too familiar face.

“Sehun?”

It had been over a year since he had last seen his ex-husband.

Sehun was wearing a suit, looking like he had come straight from an office and a beanie which clashed horribly with the rest of his formal attire. Black hair peeked out from under the warm looking beanie – unusually… plain compared to its normal outlandish colour. But Jongin would be lying if he said it didn’t look any less attractive.

_Wait. No. That’s not what I meant!_

Jongin recovered from his shock and crossed his arms, tempted to return to the warmth of the couch again.

“You have 10 seconds to convince me why I shouldn’t close this door.”

Sehun swallowed. “Uh…”

Jongin raised an eyebrow and moved to grab the door handle.

“Wait! Um- you see, Chanyeol accidently locked me out of the apartment and I lent my keys to his girlfriend, which, turns out was a pretty bad idea – but I just need somewhere to stay for one night until Chanyeol comes home.” He began to ramble, nervously avoiding eye contact. “You… were the only person I could think of that… might… let me?” He ended in a hopeful tone, finally glancing at Jongin.

Jongin stared at him for a second, then sighed.

“You’re that desperate huh?”

“Please, Jongin” He said in a softer voice. Something pulled at the edge of Jongin’s heart and he bit his lip out of nervous habit. Fuck, that voice had always held power over Jongin’s resolve. “C’mon, you can’t tell the kids that you made Dad sleep out on the cold streets.” Sehun pleaded. “Just before Christmas too, mind you.”

“Oh my god, fine. Stop guilt-tripping me.”

Sehun visibly sagged in relief and there was another tug at Jongin’s traitorous heart. He squinted at Sehun before saying, “You sleep in the guest room. And if you wake the kids I will probably change my mind about letting you stay at all.” He stepped aside and let Sehun into his home. The home he had promised he’d prevent this man from entering ever again.

Jongin shut the door and didn’t turn around as Sehun said, “Thank you Jongin. Seriously, thank you so much. I promise, you won’t even notice me here at all. I’ll be gone in the morning like I said. _Oh hey Monggu! God you’re so cute._ ”

He stayed facing the door as Sehun pat the dog. Then waited some more as he heard Sehun’s footsteps fade away and the sound of the bathroom door closing.

It was impossible to ignore Sehun’s familiarity with the house, the way Monggu had greeted him and how he knew how to navigate the corridors. Jongin let his forehead fall against the front door and squeezed his eyes shut.

It was way too easy – the way Sehun had walked straight in. Way, way too easy.

 

-

 

After losing an internal battle with himself, Jongin knocked on the bathroom door once he heard the shower turn off.

“Sehun? Um, I’ve left some clothes out here for you, and there’s left overs in the fridge so help yourself.” He paused, then added, “Good night.”

He placed the pile of clothes on the ground and hurried away before the man could open the door.

In the safety of his bedroom, he finally watched his _Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_ episode (and maybe an extra two), before lying down and closing his eyes.

Despite the darkness, the image of Sehun remained imprinted in his mind. He couldn’t help but picture the suit he was wearing, how it accentuated the broadness of his shoulders and the slim line of his waist.

Sehun never wore suits when they were together… Had he gotten a new job? It occurred to Jongin that he hadn’t really heard much about his ex since they had… divorced. The last time Jongin had seen Sehun wear a suit was to their very own wedding.

Jongin’s eyes flew open and he groaned. He really, really shouldn’t be thinking about his now.

_Why, Oh Sehun? Why did you have to turn up like this again?_

-

 

The next morning was business as usual.

“Baekhyunnie, wake up sweetie.” He called, dragging open the curtains and letting the sunlight stream through the window, harshly lighting up the small figure on the bed.

Beakhyun was not a morning person.

“Appaaaaa” He moaned.

But Jongin was already halfway out the door, Kyungsoo hoisted on his hip and the dog trailing after them.

He placed the four-year-old on the bar stool where the child sat silently and watched him make breakfast. He was an extremely quiet kid, but Jongin knew that he was only shy – just like his Appa.

He began filling up the dog bowl, before hearing Baekhyun shout from his room, “ _Appa! Can I have pancakes for breakfast?”_

“No you cannot Baekhyun! _Calm down Monggu-_ I’m making eggs, but if you don’t hurry, they’ll be all gone soon!” Jongin shouted back,

 

As he buzzed around the kitchen, he began ranting to Kyungsoo as if he wasn’t a child.

“Some people, Kyungsoo, you know? They just-“ He waved around a cooking utensil trying to illustrate his point. Kyungsoo chewed on a strawberry, eyes following Jongin. “Honestly, the nerve of him! But I couldn’t just turn him away you see?” He said helplessly.

Jongin sighed and looked at the child. “Do you think he wants breakfast?”

Kyungsoo just blinked his big eyes at his father and said nothing.

“You’re right, Kyungsoo,” Jongin resumed frying the eggs with vigour. “If he wants it, he can make his own.”

 

-

 

By 9:15, Kyungsoo had been dropped off at kindergarten and Baekhyun at school (mostly awake). As per usual, Jongin drove home and was looking forward to a warm drink and possibly a small nap before he had to start working.

He made a mental to-do list for the day: Finish a couple of work related stuff, clean the living room, fold the laundry, pick up the kids and walk the dog. A perfectly productive day.

But of course, of course! Nothing, ever goes to plan when Oh Sehun is involved.

When Jongin entered the house, Sehun was pacing around the kitchen talking to someone on the phone and sounding very frustrated. He was wearing the clothes that Jongin had given him yesterday, and even though they were his, Jongin didn’t think he’d ever seen them look this good. The sweatpants hung low on Sehun’s hips and the shirt looked tight around his chest. They may be old and worn, but Sehun had a knack for making anything he wore look flattering.

Jongin silently cursed himself for thinking it.

“Look man, I get it, but I really need to get in today… Yeah… But…”

From the doorway, he watched Sehun run a hand through his hair, his expression becoming more and more helpless.

“I know, I know. I’m a bit desperate now, I- “

Sehun was cut off by more undistinguishable words from the other end.

“For fuck’s sake Chanyeol, I’m at Jongin’s place!”

Jongin inhaled sharply and he distinctly heard the line go silent on the other end. The hand Sehun had tangled in his hair dropped to his side and he hung his head.

Jongin turned away and pressed his back to the wall. He was struck by a pang of guilt when he heard the defeat and embarrassment in Sehun’s voice.

Their conversation started again, this time softer.

“Yeah, yeah, ok. I get it. S’fine Chanyeol. Really.” There was a small chuckle. “I’ll survive. I hope… Alright, bye.”

There was the sound of Sehun dropping his phone on the kitchen counter and roughly exhaling. After a few beats of silence, Jongin decided to enter, although he had no idea what compelled him to.

He made sure to make a bit of noise, as if he had just come home.

The first thing he saw was Sehun was leaning over the counter, head buried in his hands. But at the sound of Jongin, he suddenly snapped to an upright position.

Jongin tried to ignore the strange attractiveness of Sehun’s messy hair which had been underneath the beanie last night. It looked like he had just woken up, or maybe it was from running his hands through it during the phone call…

“Oh, good morning Jongin. I- “

“I thought you were going home today.”

Jongin inwardly flinched at his own harshness. He hadn’t meant to sound that way. Sehun flushed and once again ran his hand through his hair.

“Uh, about that actually… It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Really. It just so happened that, uh, Chanyeol. He got called in by his work and his girlfriend had to uh- go to something or other, you know? And I’m so, so sorry, but I understand if you don’t want- “

“Sehun.” Jongin cut him off once again. The man had never been that articulate, especially when he was nervous. When he had first asked Jongin out, he had been a stuttering mess. Jongin looked up to the ceiling, then squinted back at Sehun, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you can stay. If you want.” He sighed. “I’m not going to kick you out.”

Sehun looked at Jongin in astonishment. “Really? Oh my god, thank you Jongin. I swear, it’s just one more night and then I’ll get out of your place.”

 _And out of your life –_ went unsaid, but both added it mentally.

Sehun cleared his throat.

“I made you a hot chocolate by the way… It might be cold by now, but I can heat it up again if you want.”

Jongin looked up at Sehun in surprise. The man was holding a mug between his hands, carefully and slowly carrying over to place in front of Jongin. He was nervous. The drink sat between them like a gift of appeasement – a sugar coated beg for forgiveness.  
Jongin reached out to the mug, still rendered speechless. He closed his mouth, not realising it had been open, and swallowed. “Thank you…”

He stared down at its swirling contents, the shine of the liquid chocolate teasing him from the depths of the mug (which was still warm). Wow, Sehun had _remembered_ that Jongin didn’t drink coffee and remembered that the way to Jongin’s heart was through his sweet, sweet tooth. The fact Sehun recalled these little things shouldn’t surprise him, but it _did._

He caught his lip between his teeth. Should he tell Sehun about how he was trying to reduce his sugar intake?

“I promise it’s not poisoned. If that’s what you’re thinking.”

There was a bitter tone to Sehun’s voice, and Jongin flushed.

“No, no, that’s not… I just…” This time he didn’t hesitate. He lifted the mug to his lips, and took a grateful gulp of the first sugary substance he’d consumed the whole week.

And _oh, god._ This had to be heaven in liquid form.

He fucking _moaned_ as he swallowed and immediately took another sip.

“Shit, this is really good.”

Sehun chuckled, sounding very relieved but amused at the same time.

“I hope that’s not how you speak in front of the kids.” He teased.

Jongin tried to ignore both the comment and the way Sehun’s eyes crinkled up when he smiled, even if just slightly.

“Have you tried this!?”

“No, I made it for you, so- “

“Here, drink some.”

And he forced the mug into Sehun’s hands, watching expectantly. The man took a tentative sip, then another, and broke into another radiant smile once he placed the mug down, gently sliding it back to Jongin.

“You’re right, it’s not bad, if I say so myself.”

Jongin looked at Sehun, and watched as he licked away the small line of hot chocolate that had caught on his upper lip. Jongin gulped and suddenly the sweetness in his mouth turned sticky, gluing together his jaw.

In truth, the man himself was like a mug of hot chocolate. Jongin _knew_ it was an unhealthy addiction that should be avoided at all costs, but it was proving impossible to ignore the enticing sweetness.

 

-

 

Jongin had been working for a while now; typing away at his laptop, but he was finding it difficult to be productive. He found himself re-writing the same sentence over and over again, unable to form the correct words.

His source of distraction lay on the couch opposite him. Full lanky form draped horizontally across the cushions, with Monggu sleeping on his stomach. Sehun had one hand lazily stroking the dog and the other holding his phone, eyes glued to the screen. Well, some of the time.

Jongin _just knew_ that Sehun kept looking at him. He could see in his peripheral every turn of the man’s head and every time his eyes flicked over in Jongin’s direction. It should be creepy, he thought, for his ex to be staring at him like this, especially after appearing practically out of nowhere. But it didn’t. Slightly uncomfortable maybe, but not creepy.

He could feel the heavy weight of Sehun’s gaze, staring at him in an unrestrained manner, oblivious to Jongin’s awareness. And Jongin really, _really_ wished that he would stop.

 _Finally,_ Jongin managed to finish what it was that he had to, and closed the lid of his laptop with a grateful breath. That was much harder than it should have been and he had many more things he needed to get done today.

He stretched his limbs in a satisfying way after sitting still for so long, and turned his head only to see Sehun staring once again. When he noticed that he had been caught, Sehun’s eyes widened and he quickly turned away, pretending to be distracted by his phone. Jongin shook his head.

He was eager to move on with his day, preferably not in such close proximity to a certain Oh Sehun.

Jongin began to walk out of the room, picking up various children and dog toys as he went. Monggu whined from his position on Sehun, as if torn between following Jongin and remaining on his undoubtedly warm and comfortable nap spot. But as soon as Sehun started stroking him, the whines trailed off into a satisfied silence. Monggu truly was a traitor.

He hummed a tune as he moved to the laundry room and began collecting the dry clothes. The song he had stuck in his head was something that had been playing on the radio as he dropped off the kids this morning. A song by Exo? Or was it that other boy band…

The tune was catchy, and soon he found himself dancing along with the rhythm, caught up in his own world of clean, detergent-smelling choreography.

“ _It goes down, down bab-_ Oh!” Jongin had turned only to find Sehun watching him and leaning against the wall, with a smirk on his infuriatingly handsome face.

“Cute.”

Jongin huffed and turned his back, trying to hide the redness in his cheeks. He kept throwing more clothes into his basket with a little more force than necessary, clamping his mouth closed.

When he went to exit the room, he yelped when he nearly crashed into Sehun who was even closer than before, his broad form barring the way out.

“Don’t _do_ that. You scared me.”

Sehun cocked his head, feigning innocence. “Do what?” God that fucking smirk.

“Sehun.” He said, sounding harsher. “You’re in my way. Move.” Wordlessly, Sehun stepped away, cocky smile finally wiped off. His expression reminded Jongin of Monggu whenever he got scolded. “Now could you _please_ either not disturb me, or actually do something _helpful_ instead of standing there uselessly?”

Jongin gestured to his full basket of washed clothes and proceeded to walk away. Frustrated, he blew his bangs out of his face and placed the basket on the living room to begin folding. _Honestly._

“Actually… I was gonna ask if you wanted help. You know how much I hate standing around… _uselessly_.” Sehun had appeared in the room again. Jongin looked up. Sehun sounded annoyed, which wasn’t surprising, and his brow was furrowed, staring down unimpressed at Jongin.

Guilt suddenly washed over him and he began to fiddle with the material in his hand. Now who was the one who had been acting immaturely?

Jongin’s irritation dissipated and he was left feeling embarrassed for himself. He said quietly, “Oh right, sorry. Go ahead then.”

Sehun moved to sit opposite Jongin, crossing his long legs and picking up the next item in the basket. They both began folding in silence, the only sound being the rustle of clothes and Monggu snoring from the couch. Jongin realised with an unnerving thought that this was probably the longest (and closest) time that they had spent together since the break up. From this close, he could make out all of Sehun’s features, from his dark eyes, to his prominent nose, to his killer jawline…

Gulping, Jongin looked away. Sehun picked up one of Baekhyun’s shirts and held it up with a small laugh.

“Jeez, this is tiny.” He held to it to his own chest to compare the size.

“What do you expect? It belongs to a six-year-old.”

“Yeah, I know. But still…” He still had a small smile on his face as he continued folding. It was true though, Jongin thought; the kids’ clothes did look exceptionally small in Sehun’s big hands. He watched Sehun’s folding technique, which was slow and unpractised, his pile of clothes building up slower than Jongin’s. For every one that Sehun folded, Jongin managed three. But he couldn’t deny that it made the progress faster and it was nice to have… company.

Silence fell again, until Sehun cleared his throat. “How have you been?”

Jongin felt shy again. “Um, fine thank you...” He ducked his head.

“And how are the kids?” Sehun tried after it was clear that Jongin wouldn’t continue.

“They’re good… The teachers keep telling me that Baekhyun talks a lot during class, but he’s making heaps of friends. Kyungsoo is sweet, he talks a bit more now…” Jongin smiled. He loved talking about his children. Then he looked at Sehun, confused. “But why do you ask? You saw them on the weekend, right?”

Sehun smiled cheekily again, “Yeah, but I just like hearing you talk.” Jongin blushed. Was Sehun… flirting with him?

Suddenly Sehun froze, and he stared down at the piece of clothing he had just picked out. “Oh my god.” He laughed incredulously, “Is this… Jongin, is this my college hoodie?” He held up a large navy hoodie which was clearly well worn. Jongin gasped and tried to pull it out of the other’s hands, blushing even further.

Sehun dodged his lunge and stood up with the hoodie still clutched in his hands. He laughed and looked from the old piece of clothing, to Jongin who was still sitting in an embarrassed heap. “I _thought_ I left it your house, but I assumed you’d just throw it away… or burn it.”

Jongin sputtered, heat flooding his cheeks. “It’s… warm, ok?” _And it stills smells like you._

He stood up and this time managed to swipe it away from Sehun, who was still chuckling.

“…Can I see you wear it?”

“No!”

 

-

 

Later on, Jongin was in a slight panic. He had gotten a call from one of the parents of Baekhyun’s friend. Mrs Park and Jongin always had alternating school pick-up days, and today had been her turn.

“I understand Mrs Choi… No, no, don’t worry about it, I’ll manage perfectly fine… Yes, thank you, take care of yourself… Good bye Mrs Choi.”

He hung up and groaned. Now he had to get both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. At the same time.

“What’s wrong?” Sehun asked as he walked in to check on Jongin.

Jongin began to gather his stuff. “Well, usually Mrs Choi picks up Baekhyun from school and drops him home, but today she can’t.” He put on his jacket and went to look for his car keys. “And I also have to pick up Kyungsoo from kindergarten…” Sehun passed the keys to him with an amused expression. “Maybe I can call the kinder and say I’ll be late…” He reached for his shoes.

“Jongin.”

“Could you please pass me my phone? It’s on the counter next to-”

“Jongin!” He looked up at Sehun, surprised. “I can pick up one of them if you want. You seem to forget that I also have a car.”

Jongin blinked. “Oh.” Sehun raised an eyebrow. “Yes, that could work.”

Shaking his head, still amused, Sehun said, “You go pick up Baekhyun, I’ll get Soo. Do you mind if I borrow a jacket?”

 

-

 

Car rides with Baekhyun were never quiet.

“Appa, today in class we made Christmas decorations! And I got to paint mine. Teacher said I couldn’t paint it all gold cause it’s a waste of good paint, so she made me paint it red. But red’s boring Appa! Everyone else was painting it red too!”

Jongin watched from the rear-view mirror as the kid complained and threw back his head dramatically. He smiled, “But red is a Christmas colour Baek.”

“So is gold, Appa!” Baekhyun said back matter-of-factly.

As they entered the driveway, Baekhyun stopped his story-telling and twisted in his seat to look out the window, confused. “Why are we at home, Appa? What about Kyungsoo?” Jongin was relieved to hear Sehun pulling up to park along the street. He got out and went to unbuckle Baekhyun’s seatbelt, trying to hold still the struggling child.

“I couldn’t get – _Please_ hold still baby – I couldn’t get both of you so- “

“DADDY?!”

Baekhyun leapt out his seat, finally free of the seatbelt, and ran full speed towards the tall figure walking up the driveway, his small arms coming around to latch onto Sehun’s leg and his face burying into the man’s hip. Carrying Kyungsoo in one hand, Sehun bent over slightly to greet Baekhyun.

“Hey little man! How was school?” He ruffled the child’s hair affectionately and grinned. Jongin watched from where he was standing beside the car and couldn’t help but giggle at the adorable sight of his children clinging to their father.

Baek turned his face upward, his bright eyes reflecting his excitement. “It was fun! I learnt what the cross-thing in maths does, Teacher said I was good at it!”

“Good job Baek! That’s awesome!” Sehun said encouragingly.

He gently set Kyungsoo on the ground and held his small hand as they began to walk to the house. He pried away Baekhyun’s arm that had been wrapped around his thigh and held onto his hand as well.

Baekhyun was practically bouncing as he walked. “Dad, Dad, guess what we made in class today?”

Jongin thought Sehun looked comical, the way he had to bend over from his height in order to reach the kids’ hands, awkwardly and slowly making their way inside. As they walked past Jongin, Sehun looked at him, eyes crinkling in a gorgeous grin which Jongin reciprocated.

It hit Jongin as he was followed them inside, that he had never really seen the kids interact with Sehun since they had broken up… Not past the greetings at the front door when he happened to drop them off at Sehun’s place.

He watched as their father picked up Kyungsoo again and twirled him around the room, all three laughing happily, with the dog barking at their feet. The sight warmed Jongin.

They fed the kids an afternoon snack, with Baekhyun retelling his ‘red and gold decoration’ story for the third time and Kyungsoo adorably describing the Christmas tree they had set up at kindergarten. It was clear that they were both beyond excited; it was the first time that their family had been all together in over a year.

Every time Jongin and Sehun happened to make eye contact, they would both look away, nervous and flustered. The kids remained oblivious to their parents’ awkwardness.

While Kyungsoo may have been too young when they had broken up, Baekhyun clearly remembered it. He kept looking between his parents almost disbelievingly, bright-eyed and a massive grin plastered on his small face. He thought that his Daddy and his Appa would never be friends again.

Jongin stood up with a bright smile. “Who wants to take the dog for a walk?”

Immediately the suggestion was met with a chorus of “ _Me!”_ and it set off the laughter once again. At the word ‘walk’, Monggu started barking excitedly, joining in with the fun.

The family bundled up in their coats, then had to wait as Baekhyun tried to do up his shoes; “ _I can do it by myself Appa_.” (He managed the left shoe before Jongin had to help with the other).

Kyungsoo tapped Sehun on the knee, head tilted right back to look up at his father. “Daddy, Daddy, lift me up!” He stuck his arms straight up and made grabby motions with his little fists. Sehun chuckled as he swung the child off the floor and over his head where he sat Kyungsoo on his shoulders. “Hold tight, Soo.”

Jongin looked up from where he was on the ground, still tying Baekhyun’s shoe and watched with apprehension, biting his lip. He was always too scared to carry the kids on his shoulders – afraid that they would fall, or hit their head on something.

 

“Careful Sehun…” He whispered. Sehun turned towards Jongin and his smile softened.

“It’ll be fine, Jongin. See? I got him.” He held up Kyungsoo’s two little feet by the ankles, to demonstrate his secure hold. Kyungsoo giggled as he did, legs straight out in the air.

They left the house and walked down the street in a happy mood, something Jongin never would have imagined ever doing with Sehun in his life ever again.

After a while, Sehun had let Kyungsoo down and the two children were walking up ahead, their parents trailing at a distance. The brothers were holding hands and chatting quietly between themselves, Monggu’s leash being passed between them periodically so they could take turns walking the dog.

Jongin was smiling at the adorable sight, his heart expanding with never-ending love for his children (all three of them). Soon though, he noticed that Sehun wasn’t watching the kids… he was busy staring at Jongin. He turned his head to meet Sehun’s gaze but was met with such an intense stare that he quickly looked away again, blushing.

Jongin swallowed before saying, “So um, I know you asked me earlier, but I never asked you… How have you been Sehun?”

There was a small silence after he asked. Sehun’s eyes never left Jongin’s face as he answered, “I’ve been alright…” He sighed and finally turned away before continuing. “The weekends are my highlight – when I get to see the kids… Oh, and I got a new job about 6 months ago. So, that was good.”

“That’s great, Sehun.” Jongin said genuinely. Sehun just nodded.

“Look, Jongin… I, um wanted to say thank you again for, you know… letting me stay at your house… I know I’ve been an inconvenience or whatever… But I had a really good day. With the kids… and… you.” He said the last part hesitantly, as if he wasn’t sure whether he was allowed to say it. His hand reached up to scratch the back of his neck, a nervous habit he’d had for as long as Jongin had known him.

Jongin blushed and said quietly, “Me too. And no, you haven’t been an inconvenience…”

They both smiled shyly and turned to watch the kids who were a little ahead of them, but soon realised that the children had stopped walking.

“Appa! Monggu pooped!” Shouted Baekhyun, pointing at a definite pile of dog shit.

_Welp, there went their sweet moment._

Jongin gasped and smiled cheekily at Sehun, “Dibs not picking it up!”

Sehun took a moment to comprehend what he had said, then looked at Jongin in betrayal. “Why you little- “Jongin squealed and dodged away from him before he could do anything in retaliation.

Laughing, he and the kids stood by and watched as Sehun unwillingly picked up Monggu’s poop, grumbling something about how it _wasn’t even his dog._ It was entertaining, but slowly Jongin’s smile dropped as he watched Sehun’s disgruntled, scrunched-up expression turn sly and evil.

“Raaah!” Without warning, he launched at Jongin and the kids, holding out the poo-filled plastic bag towards them. The kids screamed and ran to hide behind Jongin, using his legs as a shield and laughing hysterically despite the jump scare.

Their little outing ended with Sehun chasing the family all the way home, and by the time they reached the house, everyone’s cheeks were slightly pink – not because of the cold.

From there, the day ended fairly quickly. Jongin had made dinner while Sehun entertained the kids – Jongin kept hearing all sorts of strange noises coming from the living room, followed by peals of laughter. Then the children were bathed, which ended in a sudsy bathroom and a naked Baekhyun running through the house, followed by Sehun who attempted (and mostly failed) to catch him.

 

-

 

By the time the kids were put to bed, their parents were pretty worn out and opted to spend the rest of the evening watching a movie.

They sat on the couch warily close to each other, keeping a small distance between them which Jongin deemed the ‘safety zone’.

Captain America was playing on the TV. It made Jongin reminisce of his and Sehun’s past relationship, which had partly developed because of their mutual love for all things Marvel. But despite it being his favourite movie (he had a small thing for Sebastian Stan) – Jongin was too distracted to enjoy it properly. Sehun wouldn’t stop _staring_ at him, and it made Jongin self-conscious of his habit of mouthing along to the film.

Jongin tried his best to ignore him, focusing on the movie and all of Sebastian Stan’s best scenes – but soon he noticed Sehun’s hand begin to twitch, his fingers nervously tapping on the arm rest of the couch.

Jongin brushed it off at first, but then Sehun’s knee began bouncing rapidly, causing his heel to tap on the floor – and the strangest part of it all, was that he just wouldn’t look away from Jongin.

“Sehun?” He asked hesitantly, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine…” It sounded slightly strained, but Jongin dropped it for a while. Sehun’s restlessness calmed down and they continued to watch the movie.

Jongin was exhausted. The day had been fairly taxing – both physically and emotionally. On top of the usual task of looking after the kids, he had dealt with the situation of having his ex in the house for the entire day.

Weirdly – but fortunate enough – it hadn’t been awful or unbearable. In fact, Jongin thought that it was nice to have company, nice to have someone else to look after the children and nice to… see… Sehun again.

The thought made Jongin feel warm inside, but simultaneously, he felt like he was betraying himself. A year ago he would not have been opposed to seeing the same man burn in hell. He had promised himself to avoid Sehun at all costs. The only reason that they had any reason to contact each other was because of the kids. Jongin wasn’t heartless enough to part his children from their father, regardless of how much he hated the man.

This was the same man who had broken his heart – no, completely shattered it – and left him by himself with two children under 5. The same man who had been the cause of Jongin’s suffering over the past year.

But then older memories flooded back. Images of himself and Sehun in high school flashed in his mind – cringe-worthy haircuts and embarrassing fashion senses. Young and so, so in love.

_“Do you like me Nini?”_

_“I wouldn’t be dating you otherwise, silly.”_

_“Hm, just making sure”_

He remembered their cheap dates through college, where they would go out together to the local ramen place, holding hands and caring for nothing but each other.

_“Would you buy a house with me?”_

_“As long as we have a dog, I’ll follow you anywhere babe.”_

_“Of course! …Would you want children?”_

Of course, one of the most prominent memory he had was of their wedding… Jongin could still picture how nice Sehun looked that day, skin radiant and his eyes lit up with happiness. Jongin remembered how he felt as if he was flying down the aisle – straight into Sehun’s arms where he thought he would stay, safe and happy.

_“I don’t think you understand how much I love you, Kim Jongin.”_

_“I think I do.”_

Something clenched at Jongin’s heart. He remembered it all.

Feeling slightly overcome with emotion, another wave of exhaustion hit Jongin. He was vaguely aware of the fact that the space between himself and Sehun had shrunk and practically disappeared. Their thighs were now in contact and their shoulders almost pressed together. All Jongin could think about was how _warm_ Sehun is. And without thinking, he laid his head on Sehun’s shoulder.

Immediately Sehun stiffened. He didn’t make any effort to stop Jongin, but neither did he relax. Jongin sat up once again, feeling a little sad at the rejection.

But then Jongin noticed Sehun’s stressed expression.

He whispered, “Are you ok?” And that’s when Sehun’s hand started to go _tap tap tap_ again. Even more worried, Jongin reached for the remote and paused the movie.

“Sehun… What’s up?”

Sehun’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed and his stricken expression didn’t change. There was a small pause.

“I should go.” Sehun said suddenly, and got up from the couch. “Thanks Jongin. For everything today.” It sounded almost robotic – he didn’t even look at Jongin.

“Um, that’s ok,” Startled by the suddenness of it all, Jongin stood up too. “But I don’t understand… why so quick? Did you hear from Chanyeol again? I thought you couldn’t get back in without him?”

Sehun began walking out of the room and Jongin followed him. “Sehun… It’s ok you know, I really don’t mind you staying. You’re not a burden or anything.” He watched as Sehun walked into the kitchen and picked up his car keys, still not answering Jongin’s questions. “If you’re not going home then where are you going?”

“Jongin, it’s fine – I’ll  be fine.”

“Are you sure? I-”

“Why do you suddenly care?!” He whipped around to face Jongin, his tone suddenly aggressive. Jongin took a step back in surprise.

“I-I’m just confused, that’s all… Was it something that I did? Did I say something wrong?” Jongin became a little defensive, but he looked Sehun in the eye, searching for an answer.

Instantly Sehun deflated and he looked defeated. “No… you didn’t do anything wrong… I’m sorry for lashing out.” He sighed before picking up his bag packed with his work clothes – which was still sitting by the door, unmoved since that morning.

Jongin was relieved that Sehun wasn’t mad, although he was still confused at his sudden change in mood. He was almost… sad to see Sehun leaving, especially when the man was in such a strange mood.

“Wait! You- um, you forgot your beanie.” Jongin produced the beanie which had been on the kitchen counter. He noticed some crumbs had been dropped on it, and he brushed them off with his hand. The action caused him to unconsciously pout, his full bottom lip jutting out adorably. Once the beanie was clean again, he gave a small smile and held it out towards Sehun.

Sehun looked at Jongin and blinked. He ran a hand over his face before whispering under his breath, “ _God, why are you so fucking beautiful_?” Jongin’s eyes widened and his outreached hand dropped to his side. Suddenly Sehun seemed to realise what he had just said and looked panicked, “Oh shit, I was not supposed to say that. I was not supposed to- please just pretend you didn’t hear that.”

He began scrabbling behind himself for the door handle, even more desperate to leave. And it was at this point that Jongin noticed that Sehun’s eyes were watery and that the man was on the brink of crying.

 

-

 

Sehun had never been a crier – unlike Jongin. He didn’t cry when he broke his arm in high school, didn’t cry when his grandmother died, didn’t cry at their wedding and not even when he held his children for the first time.

For as long as he had known Sehun, Jongin had only ever seen him cry twice.

The first time he had seen Sehun cry was on _That Day,_ where The Fight had happened _._ The day where too many careless words had been thrown around, the day where they had shouted and fought and ultimately broke each other’s trust. A day of anger, hot as fire.

Jongin remembered crying, and screaming “ _I hate you!_ ”

But mostly he remembered the lack of guilt he felt when Sehun’s tears began to fall.

The second time Sehun had cried was a couple of months later, when he was tasked the heavy duty of telling Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. He had sat both the children on his lap, holding them close and trying to sound strong. The children had been confused _. Why was their Daddy moving away?_

Kyungsoo had been too little to truly understand what was happening, frustrated rather than sad, at his inability to comprehend the situation. Sehun’s explanation had been carried out in a broken voice, his tone more sombre than ever before. Baekhyun had cried, because his daddy was unhappy. He had wiped Sehun’s tears as they fell down his face – but the more his little hand wiped, the more the tears fell.

Jongin remembered watching the whole thing from the doorway, desperately trying to silence his sobs and refusing to enter the room – because no matter how hard he could’ve tried, Baekhyun would never have been able to wipe away Jongin’s stream of tears.

 

-

 

Jongin looked at Sehun now, and inappropriately thought to himself that Sehun still looks handsome even if he is about to cry.

“Sehun,” He said tentatively, searching for the truth, “Why are you leaving?”

Sehun ran a hand through his hair and took a moment to school his emotions. He may have the world’s best poker face, but at that moment Jongin could read his internal struggle like a book.

Eventually, Sehun said in a shaky voice, “Because if I stay any longer… I won’t be able to leave.”

Jongin was still surprised, even if he was kind of expecting that answer.

Sehun gave a humourless chuckle and his hand never left his hair. “God, you don’t even know how fucking hard it is. Jongin – every time you so much as _smile_ I feel like I’m 17, and falling for you all over again.”

The confession sparked an unknown feeling in Jongin.

Then Sehun started crying.

Jongin forced himself into action. Dropping the beanie, he went to Sehun and took the bag from his hands. Sehun gave a choked sob as he moved to lean over the kitchen counter – head hanging between his shoulders. Jongin had dealt with crying kids for the past six years, but this seems like a far more daunting task – especially as he feels his own eyes begin to water. He didn’t know what to do with himself, so he fiddled with the sleeves of his hoodie, unconsciously wishing that it was Sehun’s big, comfy college hoodie. He silently watched Sehun’s back, and the way his shoulders moved as he cried.

Eventually Sehun started talking again, his voice soft and broken. “I know I fucked up. I fucked up so, so badly… I _knew_ that I had hurt you, and… I thought that justice should be served... So I punished myself in the worst way I knew how.”

Jongin found it hard to swallow around the painful lump that had formed in his throat and tears began to blur his vision. Sehun exhaled loudly and stood up properly and this time fully faced Jongin.

“I told myself: If your happiness, meant a life without me in it – then so be it.”

The weight of Sehun’s words hit Jongin and his chest constricted painfully. Tears began to spill down his face and he used the sleeves of his hoodie to wipe at them in vain. The emotion in Sehun’s voice was so raw, it flooded Jongin with so many different feelings. Sadness, sympathy – but part of it was guilt.

Sehun wrapped his arms around himself. “I’d probably lay down and die for you Jongin… Heck, if you wanted someone dead I would probably go and kill them myself.” He didn’t even look like he was joking.

Sehun took a deep breath, “I would do literally _anything_ for you _Nini_.”

Jongin gasped quietly at the use of his old nickname.

“Do you want me to take the moon from the sky? Because for you, I’d probably find a way to.”

Sehun took a step towards Jongin.

“Do you want a castle of gold? Because I would build it with my own hands.”

 He stretched out his arms, palms facing upwards. Slowly, he kept moving closer to Jongin.

“I would search every country on this goddamn Earth for the… the cutest dog in the world, and bring it to you with a ribbon around its neck.”

Sehun smiled softly and suddenly he had come so close, they were standing nose to nose. Jongin could see into the inky depths of Sehun’s beautiful eyes, his emotions swimming on the surface. Two pairs of watery eyes and tear-stained cheeks stood reflecting each other.

In his peripheral vision, Jongin noticed Sehun’s hand lift, and felt a clammy palm rest against his cheek. Sehun’s small smile dropped and the deep sadness returned once again. His eyes flickered between both of Jongin’s, desperately searching for an answer.

“Do you want me to leave? …Because if you do, I promise that you won’t _ever_ have to see me again.”

It was barely a whisper… A warning, a promise, a proposal.

Jongin’s felt paralysed, as if the only reaction he was capable of, was producing more tears. His throat felt painful and he was struggling to breathe steadily.

“My beautiful Nini…” Sehun’s hand gently caressed his cheek. “I want you to know that… If you’re happier _without_ me… then I’m ok with that…”

And still, Jongin said nothing. The constricting feeling around his heart was suffocating him.

There was a painful moment of heavy silence where neither person looked away.

Eventually realisation dawned on Sehun’s face. His eyes stopped darting and resignation filled his features. He took a step back and let his hand fall away from Jongin’s cheek.

“I’m sorry” He whispered, “… I’m so, so sorry my Beautiful.” He took one last look at Jongin before turning around, head bowed.

“Goodbye, Jongin.”

Then finally – _finally_ his body caught up with his mind.

Jongin reached out and grabbed his wrist. “ _Sehun.”_

The man stopped walking and looked over his shoulder, eyes not meeting with Jongin.

“I- I don’t want you to go.” He managed to stammer. Sehun looked up in disbelief.

Jongin stepped until he was standing in front of Sehun. “Please, _please_ don’t leave.” He swallowed hard and looked Sehun straight in the eyes. “ _I’m_ the one who’s sorry, Sehun. I’m so, so sorry that I left you. I didn’t realise how much you-”

He was cut off by his own sobs as he started crying. Jongin covered his face with his hands and wept into his sleeves. Then he felt a pair of arms wrap around him and Jongin was pulled against Sehun’s chest. Jongin clutched at the man’s shirt (which was actually his own), and buried his face.

Sehun gently stroked his hair. “Shh, you have nothing to be sorry for my dear.” He soothed, “I’m the one who fell so hard in love… that I couldn’t fall back out.”

Jongin cried harder into Sehun’s shoulder.

It was times like these when Sehun went from a stuttering mess, to the most eloquent speaker ever, and was capable of evoking Jongin’s greatest emotions. It was how Jongin knew that Sehun was speaking the absolute truth – the words had come directly from his heart.

Jongin held onto him like he was a lifeline. His confession had shocked Jongin.

_Sehun is still in love with me._

Eventually he had calmed his tears enough to lift his head from Sehun’s shoulder. On the man’s sleeve, there was a prominent tear-stained patch, a puddle left behind by Jongin. Neither of them let go of each other.

Jongin’s hiccups were the only sound in the room. Sehun kept stroking his hair and patiently waited for Jongin to look at him again.

_Sehun is still in love with me._

Jongin slowly lifted his eyes, meeting Sehun’s, and involuntarily shivered at the intensity of his stare.

“Do you still want me to stay?” Sehun asked quietly, as if afraid of the answer.

Jongin nodded almost imperceptibly, still fighting small hiccups.

Relief instantly flooded Sehun’s face and he looked misty-eyed again. His hand curled into Jongin’s hair, and a small smile graced his handsome features.

“That means… so, so much to me.” He breathed.

Seriously, how much emotion was this man capable of stirring up in Jongin?

Sehun stared at Jongin in reverence for a little longer before saying, “Do you even know how gorgeous you are?”

Jongin flushed even more than he already was from all the crying and gently pushed Sehun’s chest.

There was a small laugh, “I’m being serious!” He said.

There was a small pause before he continued, “ _Jesus Christ,_ I miss seeing your face every day...” Jongin gave him a pointed look and Sehun’s eyes widened. “I mean, not just your face of course… I miss you as a _person_ as well – except maybe when you were yelling at me in rage – but I’m just saying it’s not _just_ your beauty that I, uh…”

Now Jongin was the one laughing. From poet to nervous wreck in no time.

Eventually Sehun stopped blushing and Jongin’s giggles died down. A calm silence settled between them and Jongin’s mind began to comprehend a lot of what had just happened.

_Sehun still loves me._

Jongin felt like laughing again. Oh Sehun – his evil ex – had returned out of nowhere, because he was locked out of his apartment and had confessed to Jongin that he was still in love. It sounded absolutely ridiculous in Jongin’s head, like something out of a TV drama. But that was what had happened.

Then Jongin noticed Sehun’s eyes flickering downward, his gaze focusing on… Jongin’s lips? Sehun swallowed hard but didn’t move, looking too scared to initiate anything.

Jongin bit his lip (not with the purpose of making Sehun’s eyes widen), and began to lean towards the man. Jongin had always been the much shyer of the two, but in this instance, Sehun’s nervousness was almost tangible. Jongin’s eyes fluttered closed, his head tilting slightly… and then they were kissing.

_Sehun loves me._

Warmth exploded within Jongin. It was the first kiss he had experienced in over a year, and every sensation felt amplified by a hundred. Sehun’s lips were soft and familiar, moving perfectly against Jongin’s as if their relationship had never taken hiatus.

The kiss was slow, but filled with so much passion and emotion that Jongin felt his legs go weak at the knees. If it wasn’t for the secure arm around his waist, Jongin was sure he would be on the floor by now, a puddle of melted limbs.

His hands came up to the back of Sehun’s neck, fingers brushing the small hairs which were finally dyed a natural black after so many years of artificial colouring. The position felt so natural, and it brought back so many memories.

Their first kiss back in high school, their stolen kisses in between classes, the kisses in their first house, kisses during sex, at their wedding, behind their children’s backs…

After what felt like an eternity, the two pulled away from each other and Jongin immediately missed the warmth of Sehun’s mouth on his. They were panting slightly, out of breath from the kiss and the swirling emotions.

Sehun cracked a grin and gave a breathy laugh. Jongin smiled as well, almost disbelievingly. Whatever just happened, he didn’t regret it. Sehun pressed their foreheads together, and once again stared into Jongin’s eyes.

“I missed that.”

“Yeah, me too…”

Jongin had never felt more protected and secure than this in the longest time. The way Sehun’s arms wrapped around him was comforting and warm.

Jongin leaned back slightly in order to see the whole of Sehun’s handsome face, and admired the perfect features of the man he had fallen in love with many years ago.

Then he made a cute expression and asked, “Stay and finish the movie with me? Please?”

Sehun just smiled and hugged Jongin closer.

 

-

 

Baekhyun watched in confused-happiness as Sehun carried yet another box into the house. He looked at Kyungsoo, but his little brother was only excited about the new Ironman toy their Daddy had bought him.

Sehun pecked Jongin on the cheek and ruffled Baekhyun’s hair before walking back out to his car. He called, “Last box!” and disappeared out the door.

Baekhyun looked up at Jongin and tugged on the hem of his father’s jumper. “Appa, I don’t get it! Is Daddy moving in again?” His tone was hopeful, his eyes inquisitive.

Jongin lifted a hand to his cheek which Sehun had kissed and smiled down at his child. “Yes Baekhyunnie. Daddy’s going to live here again.”

Baekhyun grinned and started cheering. He happily took the hands of his brother and started to swing Kyungsoo around the room. Sehun walked back in on the heart-warming sight and laughed as he placed down the box. He looped an arm around Jongin’s waist and they both watched their children with complete adoration.

Finally, their family was finally complete.

 

 

 

 


End file.
